What does anemia mean?
Anemia is a medical condition in which the blood lacks sufficient healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry adequate oxygen to the body's tissues. Common symptoms include fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, and pale skin. It has many causes, including iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, chronic disease, and inherited disorders such as sickle cell anemia. Derived from the Greek word for 'bloodlessness,' the term entered English in the early nineteenth century and remains a cornerstone of clinical medicine worldwide. Beyond its literal medical meaning, anemia is occasionally used figuratively to describe a lack of vigor or vitality, as in criticism of art or writing that feels lifeless. In British English it is spelled 'anaemia,' while American English uses 'anemia.' Because it affects roughly a quarter of the world's population, anemia is among the most widespread health conditions globally.
nounA medical condition in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen, typically due to a deficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin, resulting in fatigue, weakness, and pallor.
- A medical condition characterized by a deficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin, reducing oxygen delivery to the body's tissues.
- Figuratively, a lack of vitality or vigor (e.g., 'anemia of the imagination').
"Her persistent fatigue was finally traced to iron-deficiency anemia."
"Doctors diagnosed her with iron-deficiency anemia after months of unexplained exhaustion."
"Critics complained that the novel suffered from a certain anemia of plot and character."
Rarely used; anemia is normally treated as a mass noun. The plural appears mainly in medical literature when referring collectively to different types of the condition.
"The textbook surveys the various hemolytic anemias."
The word 'anemia' comes from ancient Greek for 'without blood' — a condition doctors have been chasing for over two thousand years.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anemia
Anemia derives from the ancient Greek word 'anaimia' (ἀναιμία), formed from 'an-' (without) and 'haima' (blood), literally meaning 'lack of blood.' The term passed into Latin and entered English medical usage in the early nineteenth century as physicians began systematically describing conditions of reduced blood quality. Its cognates include other words built on the Greek root 'haima,' such as 'hemorrhage' and 'hemoglobin.'
Related word forms
How anemia is actually used
In British English the spelling is 'anaemia' with the digraph 'ae'; American English uses 'anemia'. The figurative sense is literary and less common than the medical one. The plural form is rare because anemia is usually treated as a singular mass noun referring to a condition.
Easily confused with anemia
Anorexia is an eating disorder or loss of appetite, whereas anemia is a deficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood.